Friends of the Colby Community Library
That was then…
In 1990, the Friends of the Colby Public Library was formed through the efforts of Carol Wilhelmi, who served as library director at the time. Officers of the new group included President Joyce Rannow, Vice-President Mary Luchterhand, Treasurer Carol Pfefferkorn, Correspondence Secretary Sheryl Johnson, and Recording Secretary Vicky Calmes. Members-at-large were Dorothy Schjoneman and Celia Weidenhoeft. There were 44 charter members in the group.
By-laws were created and the organization applied for tax-exempt status. The mission of the group was “to raise funds for library needs, promote improved library services and facilities, provide volunteer help with open houses and programs, stimulate gifts and bequeaths, publicize events, and promote community awareness of the importance of the library to the community.”
The Friends first fundraising goal was to purchase furnishings for the 1990 library renovation space, which enlarged the library’s size through an addition and by moving the library from the front room in the city hall into the former fire hall in the rear of the building. A used book sale during Cheese Days, a button sale, and a bake sale were hosted to raise funds. Volunteers from the Friends helped at an Open House for the new library space in February of 1992. The Friends group then turned its fundraising efforts toward the purchases of a copier machine and the first computers for patron use.
This is now…
While the number of members varied from year to year and the variety of fundraisers changed, the core values of the group to support the library through time, talent, and treasure remains the same.
The Friends members were called upon to help with the Open House in 2018 to celebrate the opening of the new Colby Community Library building. A “Noon Year’s Eve” celebration found Friends assisting at the various stations throughout the library before the party’s highlight: a huge balloon drop. Friends assist throughout the summer with the youth summer reading program. A “thank-you” gathering for the community each year is the Concert and Food Truck event held in August, which is hosted by the Friends.
Currently, the Friends of the Colby Community Library group has 81 members and remains a strong supporter of the programs and events at the CCL. Fundraisers, such as the Cheese Days Book and Movie Sale, are still an integral part of the group’s financial support to the library. In recent years, the Friends have hosted envelope raffles, brat fries, a chair affair, alumni tournament raffles, and candy sales.
The Friends have purchased many items for the library in the past few years, including a color copier, disc cleaning machine, floor scrubber, computers, children and adult books, and the Giving Tree in the library vestibule.
The current officer team includes President Kris Woik, Vice-President Becky Schmelzer, Secretary Brittani Mertens, and Treasurer Melanie Fetting. Members-at-large are Ruth Blume and Vicky Fischer. Vicky Calmes is the CCL director.
Celebrate with Friends
The Friends of the Colby Community Library’s annual meeting will be held Monday, March 24. The Friends group celebrates 35 years of service since its inception in 1990.
A tropical food bar begins at 5:45 p.m. The meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the RCU Community Room at the CCL. New members are always welcome to join.
Lifetime memberships will receive a free canvas library bag or t-shirt when signing up. These items are also for sale at the library throughout the year. If you and your family would like to support the library, consider joining the Friends.
Immediately following the Friends meeting, beginning at 7 p.m., the public is invited to a free presentation by author Marcy West. Her book, “Protecting Paradise in the Driftless: How the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Came to Be,” is the saga of how the US Army Corps of Engineers removed 149 families from their property in southwest Wisconsin to construct a dam on the Kickapoo River – a dam which ultimately was never completed. West will discuss the controversy which found local communities stepping up to create a new environmental opportunity. Door prizes will be awarded after the presentation.
The Friends of the Colby Public Library made their first donation in 1994 of a computer terminal with CD-ROM capabilities. Shown are (seated from left) President Dorothy Schjoneman and Secretary Margaret Provinski and (standing from left) Director Joyce Rannow, Librarian Carol Wilhelmi, Historian Karen Schjoneman, Treasurer Vlasta Blaha and Director Mary Lutcherhand.
Inaugural donation to the CCL
TP PHOTO ARCHIVE
